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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

WEDNESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Second Kings 17 goes into great detail as to the sins of the people of Israel and the patience and warnings of God the Father. Since the Israelites chose to ignore everything God sent their way, He eventually “swept them away from His presence” (II Kings 17:18b, NLT). Samaria, the capital of Israel “fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria” (II Kings 17:6a, NLT).

As part of yesterday’s study, I quoted Nahum 1:3b: "And He never lets the guilty go unpunished.” While the people of the Old Testament could never make enough sacrifices to expunge all their guilt, those of us living today have the astounding privilege of accepting the One Blood Sacrifice “who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b).

Don’t miss this, folks: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God’s righteousness would be produced in us” (II Corinthians 5:21, ISV). Jesus Christ didn’t take on the sin of the world – He became sin: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin.” Why? “For us.” And in His death, that sin was put to death. Its grip ended, but only “for those who will believe” (Jesus speaking, John 17:20b, NIV).

And that, my friends, is worth celebrating! We are no longer guilty! Jesus Himself said it this way: “I can guarantee this truth: Those who listen to what I say and believe in the One who sent Me will have eternal life. They won’t be judged because they have already passed from death to life” (John 5:24, God’s Word).

The proof of this new life, however, is not a “profession of faith” or a dip in the baptistery or your name on a church roll. John, the Beloved Disciple, said it was this: “If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life” (I John 3:14a, NLT).

Or as the apostle Paul worded it, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (I Corinthians 13:1).

There was an explicit purpose in Christ’s redemptive work. Why did He become sin “for us?” “So that God’s righteousness would be produced in us.” And if “God’s righteousness” is “produced in us,” guess what? We’re like Him. We are reproductions of the original.

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About Me

WHAT IS BARGAINOMICS? Money management God's way. I believe I have a responsibility to wisely manage every blessing entrusted to me by Jesus Christ, and this includes both time and money. I want other people to realize the importance of this and to know the freedom that comes through faith in Christ and through the debt-free life that is available to all who'll commit to wise money management.
If there's a bargain out there; an easier way to accomplish something; a cheaper way to get 'er done, I want to pass this info along!
I appear regularly on Birmingham, AL's Fox-6 "News at Noon" and "Good Day Alabama" and I always have money-saving info to pass along to our viewers. I maintain the website www.Bargainomics.com which includes a BARGAIN ALERT page and a VACATION SPOT, both packed with dollar-stretching deals.
I've authored 3 books, the latest of which is BARGAINOMICS: MONEY MANAGEMENT BY THE BOOK, available in print and eBook format; countless articles; and love nothing more than the chance to personally share Bargainomics with church and civic groups.